Gold worth Rs 2.25 crore seized from airline's crew member

The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of city police on Saturday arrested a Kenyan Airlines cabin crew member for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 2.25 crore. The police had initially received information of the foreigner being involved in drug trade, however, when the police nabbed him, he was found in the possession of gold bars.

The arrested Kenyan national has been identified as Teddy Mutuma Muthee, 25. According to deputy commissioner of police, ANC, JJ Naiknavare, the Worli unit of ANC had received information about drugs being carried by a cabin crew member, on a direct flight from Nairobi to Mumbai and the said crew member has checked in in a 5-star hotel in Andheri (E).

"We apprehended the suspect later identified as Muthee when he was on his way out of the hotel after checking in where the crew were to rest. No drugs as we were informed were found on his person or in his belongings, but 7.5 kilograms of gold in the form of bars were recovered from Muthee's possession. This gold is estimated to cost Rs2.25 crore. Muthee claimed that the gold was legally brought in and he had the required documents. He tried to mislead the police. But no proof of what he was claiming was found," Naiknavare said.

The gold bars bore foreign markings and were not documented. A case against Muthee was later filed and he has been booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to stolen property. Muthee and the seized property were later handed over to the customs officials on Sunday morning. "Muthee is now in custody with the customs officials. They will carry out the necessary probe in the case now on," Naiknavare added.